The Opposition BJP on Wednesday called the state Budget “anti-people”, claiming it proved that the TMC government has gone “bankrupt.”

Walking out of the Assembly with party MLAs during the Budget speech, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said: “The state government has betrayed two crore unemployed youths of the state. This budget is anti-North Bengal, anti-Junglemahal, and anti-Sundarbans. It is anti-farmer, there is no new plan for health, and there is no mention of women in this budget.”

“This is the 15th budget of the TMC government, and the last budget of the Mamata Banerjee government. This budget proves that the TMC government is bankrupt. The next budget will be tabled by a BJP government,” Adhikari said, asserting that his party would form the government after the next year’s Assembly polls.

Adhikari said the Budget played a cruel joke on the state government employees by only effecting a 4 per cent hike in their DA – 18 per cent in total – which he claimed was “far below” the DA hike for central government employees and government employees in other states.

Ruing the Budget remains silent on the increase in allocation for women (Lakshmir Bhandar), the senior BJP leader said, “While monthly allowance for women’s empowerment has been hiked in many other states, this government has failed to address the economic uplift of the women of poor households. This government has failed to address issues confronting women – from their livelihood to safety and security.”

“From the unemployed youth to the backward tribe, indigenous community members in Darjeeling Hills/Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri/Aliurduar, the Budget does not spare a single thought for providing economic benefit for the backward tribe/indigenous community people like Rajbanshi, Gorkha, and other tribes in those belts… The Budget has no word for the overall development of North Bengal, ignoring the region altogether,” he added.

The BJP also accused the TMC government of “excessive dependence on debt,” arguing that the Budget reflected reckless borrowing habits that would further burden the state with debt instead of fostering self-reliance for Bengal.

Adhikari said the Budget shows no light to recover the Rs 6,000 crore debt burden on the state, which has happened due to the “ineptitude of the state government.”

Union Minister and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar called the Budget “directionless”. “It failed to address the core problem of unemployment. They are only spending money on revdi politics,” he added.

CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty said the Budget failed to provide a roadmap on how the promises made would be implemented. “The Budget has no solid direction on where the money will come from. It does not address development in education, health, industry, and unemployment,” he said.

ISF MLA Nawsad Siddique said, “What will happen by giving just a 4 percent DA? We say that DA should be given at par with the Centre. This Budget is just for show.”